Precision High Alitude Sonobuoy Emplacement (PHASE)

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I study deals with the development of a precision sonobuoy emplacement technique that employs a reefed parachute to reduce air-launched sonobuoy time spent aloft and exposed to the effects of wind on placement accuracy . This effort will include a wind-tunnel testing to assess the fluid dynamic requirements that will determine parachute shape, design and reefing parameters. The system will use a barometric sensor that will trigger activation of the reefing system at a pre-determined low altitude, thus allowing the sonobuoy to free-fall from high altitude (20k-30k feet), minimizing unwanted position variation caused by wind-induced drift. Additionally, the study will explore techniques for computing accurate real-time on station wind vector information that will be used by the aircraft operational program to automatically compute the best sonobuoy release point to achieve the greatest sonobuoy positional accuracy.